Gordon’s School
The Department has had many successes this year, with highlights including our visiting Civil War re-enactors, a Year 9 trip to the Belgian Battlefields and our visit from Holocaust survivor Josef Perl.
In May this year, our Year 9 pupils were privileged to hear Josef Perl give one of his last public talks before retirement. Having survived as a child in several Nazi camps, Joe’s story is both moving and inspiring. Our pupils were silent as Joe told his story and they fully appreciated their unique position as the last generation to hear first hand this story of survival.
Gordon’s Year 8 pupils were encouraged to get actively involved in the English Civil War last July, following their study of the topic earlier in the year. One hundred pupils were shown how to dress and eat in the 17th Century fashion, as well as helping to fire a cannon and muskets!
Finally, in October, the whole of Year 9 spent a day visiting the World War One Battlefields around Ypres in Belgium. Our visit included stops at both Commonwealth and German cemeteries, the Passchendaele Museum, a preserved trench system and the town of Ypres itself.
The highlight of our visit, however, was the service of remembrance at Tyne Cot Cemetery led by our school chaplain. Here, our students gathered round the memorial cross to the sound of Gordon’s bagpipes played by two of our Year 9 students. Our service ended with another of our students playing the Last Post and Reveille on the bugle. Virtually the whole of the Cemetery joined us for this moving tribute to the fallen and many visitors and other school parties commented on the uniqueness of our service.
Gordon’s School is a co-educational state school, based in Woking, Surrey.